


all for a smile

by kerrykins



Category: Big Little Lies (TV)
Genre: F/F, fiction&femslashevent, renata defends her pretty ledy frend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2020-07-31 19:47:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20120680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kerrykins/pseuds/kerrykins
Summary: Drama is never far from Renata Klein’s line of sight, and neither is sticking up for the people she loves.





	all for a smile

**Author's Note:**

  * For [elle_nic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elle_nic/gifts).

> for elle, the loveliest person i know, who wanted renata defending celeste and celeste being soft abt it
> 
> i wrote this on my phone so i am truly sorry for the mess but ily

Renata reached out to grasp Celeste’s hand reassuringly. “It’ll be okay, I promise. We’ll appeal Bonnie’s case and this time we’ll fucking win.” Her eyes shone with a fierce determination that made Celeste smile. At her core, Renata was an optimist, who refused to accept anything that didn’t meet her standards. Even if their chances of reducing Bonnie’s sentence were slim, Celeste was still charmed by the other woman’s enthusiasm. Renata was equally cheered by small signs of Celeste’s amusement.

“God, I sure hope so,” the redhead sighed. “These kinds of cases are tricky, though. One could argue that Bonnie had malum prohibitum just as easily as one could say that she didn’t.”

When Renata stared blankly at her, Celeste laughed and quickly explained, “It means intent to seriously injure or kill. Truth be told, I’m not entirely sure what Bonnie was actually thinking when she pushed Perry— but I’m glad she did.”

“That makes two of us,” Renata remarked. “God, what a fucking dickbag. I wish I had known earlier, maybe I could have done something to help you. Like put a hit on him, I don’t know.”

“There was no way you could have known,” Celeste said immediately. She knew this conversation would lead to Renata blaming herself, like Madeline and Jane and Bonnie had, and wouldn’t let Renata fall down the same hole.

“Yeah, but I just...” Renata gesticulated wildly, as if grasping for the proper words to convey her thoughts. “I just wish things worked out differently, that’s what I’m trying to say.” Renata’s gaze flickered to something behind Celeste and her face hardened. “Gordon.”

The mention of Renata’s ex-husband was accompanied by the tinkling of the coffee shop's welcome bell. Celeste jerked her head back in time to see him stumbling in.

“Aren’t you banned from Blue Blue’s?” Renata asked prettily through gritted teeth. “Go back to your piece-of-shit apartment and jack off or watch porn or whatever it is you usually do.”

“Can’t a guy get a cup of coffee?” Gordon was in ratty sweatpants and uncombed hair and a tired expression. He glanced sideways at Celeste in a way that made Renata’s skin crawl and want to slash his eyes out.

“Not here, no. You have some _ fucking _ nerve, showing up.”

Celeste was alarmed at how quickly this situation was escalating but understood why Renata was so upset. This coffee shop was a special place where friendships were solidified and pacts were made, a safe haven from their hellish lives beyond this intimate corner of the bay. For Gordon to encroach upon it felt like a punch to the gut. 

“I think you might want to go before Tom comes over here,” Celeste said timidly. “Renata’s right, you shouldn’t be here.”

Gordon gave her a long, considering look before scoffing. “And here I was, hoping you’d be the helpful one here. So much for that.”

Celeste’s face coloured at that but before she could get a word in, Renata was already rising to her feet. Her chair scraped horribly against the floor, her face thunderous and tight with fury.

“Get the fuck out, you pathetic bastard. Your mere presence is polluting the air in here and I don’t want to spend one more second in the same room as you. I’ll get a goddamn restraining order if you ever talk to me or Celeste like that again. How dare you?”

Renata’s voice was steadily rising in volume and people were beginning to stare. Celeste felt every pair of eyes searing into her as if they were made of flame and grimaced.

“Fucking hell, woman. I’m going, I’m going.”

“Ohoho, you relinquished the right to do whatever the moment you walked in here. I’m not finished with you. This isn’t okay, you assfuck!” Renata yelled at his retreating back, her heels clicking as she furiously paced along the length of the doorway. “You fucking hear me?”

When Gordon only deigned to flip her off, Renata gasped and stammered angrily. _ How dare he, how dare he, how dare he? _

“Hey,” Celeste said, gently tapping Renata’s shoulder. “It’s okay, we’ll get him next time.”

That seemed to do the trick, and Renata deflated. “There shouldn’t even be a next time,” she groaned. Celeste guided her back into her seat and noted the lines of exhaustion in her face.

“There probably won’t be. But thank you for defending me.”

Renata couldn’t help but beam when Celeste gave her a wide, genuine smile. “My pleasure.” She thought Celeste’s smile was like sunlight upon a patch of freshly-trimmed grass, and would do anything to see more of it.


End file.
